{"id":160039,"date":"2025-11-09T11:46:59","date_gmt":"2025-11-09T08:16:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=160039"},"modified":"2025-11-09T11:46:59","modified_gmt":"2025-11-09T08:16:59","slug":"oaths-of-kings-in-the-shahnameh-reflect-their-commitment-to-public-rights","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/?p=160039","title":{"rendered":"Oaths of Kings in the Shahnameh Reflect Their Commitment to Public Rights"},"content":{"rendered":"

The seminar \u201cRights in Ancient Texts\u201d brought together several scholars of Iranology. Organized in collaboration with the \u201cCoordination Council\u201d at the \u201cIranian Cultural Foundation,\u201d this session was part of an ongoing series of cultural events. It was held on the afternoon of Sunday, 11 Mehr, with the participation of history and culture enthusiasts.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Smiling was considered a civic right<\/strong>
\nProfessor Dariush Farhoud, a distinguished genetics scholar, began his talk with \u201cIn the name of the Lord of Ethics\u201d and reflected on Achaemenid governance: \u201cCyrus the Great founded the Persian Empire, but it was Darius who truly established the framework of statecraft\u2014introducing postal services, minting coins, organizing provinces, collecting taxes, and constructing roads.\u201d<\/p>\n

He further highlighted proper ways of living, noting: \u201cFrom a medical perspective, the greatest threats to human well-being are violence, resentment, and aggression. These three fuel four major health issues: cardiovascular diseases, cancer, metabolic disorders, and mental illnesses.\u201d<\/p>\n

Professor Farhoud emphasized the roots of human suffering, identifying violence, resentment, and aggression as drivers of four major illnesses: cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic, and mental disorders. He explained that the remedy is simple but challenging: lower expectations, raise tolerance, accept reality, be adaptable, and build resilience\u2014together forming the foundation of a healthy lifestyle.<\/p>\n

Referring to modern research, he noted that living in harmony with our body\u2019s natural rhythms\u2014sleep, diet, and balance\u2014is essential for well-being. He lamented that today\u2019s world remains dominated by conflict and aggression, questioning why humanity resists ethics and kindness. \u201cSmiling,\u201d he added, \u201cis a basic civic right we must not forget.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cyrus\u2019s Charter: An Enduring Civilizational Legacy<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Mohammad-Ali Dadkhah, a legal scholar, reflected on heroism in Iranian mythology: \u201cSome consider Arash greater than Rostam because he defined Iran\u2019s borders, creating space for growth before other deeds.\u201d<\/p>\n

He cited the Shahnameh<\/em>, highlighting the battle between Rostam and Esfandiar, whose dialogue teaches:
\n“Peace is due to all people; may he perish who seeks war.”<\/em><\/p>\n

Dadkhah noted that the epic depicts both order and chaos: Jamshed establishes Nowruz, Zahhak brings disorder, and Kaveh\u2019s rebellion restores justice, reflecting ancient Iranian values.<\/p>\n

On historical civilization, he praised Cyrus the Great: \u201cCyrus created a fair taxation system, choosing Ruz-e Baz<\/em> on Nowruz, aligning civic duty with cultural order\u2014a remarkable achievement.\u201d He concluded: \u201cCyrus\u2019s charter remains an enduring civilizational value. History flows continuously; as Hegel observed, world history began with Iran under Cyrus.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier, Professor Dariush Faroud emphasized lifestyle and wellbeing. He noted violence, anger, and resentment as roots of four major illnesses: cardiovascular, cancer, metabolic, and mental disorders. Remedies, he said, include lowering expectations, building resilience, accepting reality, and living in harmony with our body\u2019s rhythms\u2014sleep, nutrition, and order.<\/p>\n

Faroud concluded: \u201cOur world is filled with aggression, yet morality teaches peace. And why do we avoid smiling? Smiling is a basic civic right.\u201d<\/p>\n

Public Rights in the Shahnameh<\/strong><\/p>\n

Dr. Mohammad Rasouli, a legal scholar and Shahnameh expert, began by thanking Professor Dariush Faroud: \u201cHe dedicates his time and resources to promoting Iranian culture, and we owe him our gratitude.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rasouli highlighted the legal dimension of the Shahnameh<\/em>: \u201cContrary to the old view of it as mere myth, the Shahnameh<\/em> clearly addresses rights. Scholars who have devoted themselves to its study have shown that it reflects legal principles.\u201d<\/p>\n

He distinguished between private and public law: \u201cPrivate law regulates relations between individuals, while public law governs rulers and citizens. Although often thought to emerge with the French Revolution, public law is evident in the Shahnameh<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The epic illustrates political institutions, social structures, citizenship, and human rights. It presents a fully organized society, encompassing governance, sovereignty, and even Iranian nationalism rooted in defined borders.<\/p>\n

Dr. Mohammad Rasouli concluded: \u201cIn the Shahnameh<\/em>, the council\u2014called the \u2018Anjoman\u2019\u2014represents the people. Every king who rules swears to uphold public rights.\u201d<\/p>\n

Iranologist Dariush Shahbazi, another speaker, remarked: \u201cIran has a rich cultural heritage spanning millennia. Today, I focus on the Sasanian era.\u201d<\/p>\n

He explained its duality: \u201cThe Sasanians were a powerful, civilized state, yet most people lived under harsh conditions. Artisans and farmers faced struggles, while kings claimed legitimacy through divine glory and absolute authority. Only 2% of society were nobles and royalty; the remaining 98% endured hardships, sometimes seeking refuge from heavy taxes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shahbazi added: \u201cThe Sasanian society eventually declined, partly due to long wars with Rome, yet their influence extended to China, Europe, and Africa.\u201d<\/p>\n

Upholding Ethics<\/strong>
\nManouchehr Vasayegh, member of the Coordination Council of Iran-e Farhangi and head of Tehran\u2019s scouting program, stressed the importance of ethics in a brief address: \u201cWe must harmonize contemporary ethics with the wisdom of our ancestors. This is how we create a healthier society. Ethics forms the foundation of democracy, so moral integrity must always guide us.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cEven planting a single flower can bring meaningful change to our daily lives.\u201d<\/p>\n

The session was moderated by Maryam Serajian, and included two vocal performances by Mr. Nik, who also shared one of his own poems with the audience.<\/p>\n

\"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\" \"\"<\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The seminar \u201cRights in Ancient Texts\u201d brought together several scholars of Iranology. Organized in collaboration with the \u201cCoordination Council\u201d at the \u201cIranian Cultural Foundation,\u201d this session was part of an ongoing series of cultural events. It was held on the afternoon of Sunday, 11 Mehr, with the participation of history and culture enthusiasts. Smiling was […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":160040,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[1314,59],"class_list":["post-160039","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-zoroastrians","tag-mohammad-rasouli","tag-shahnameh"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160039","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/12"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=160039"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/160039\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/160040"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=160039"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=160039"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.amordadnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=160039"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}